The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-06-08
PRETTY FACTORY GIRLS.
A Roseate View OF tho Condition Of Now
York's Army Of Working-W0men.

6NSBSt Ns'eSs
A Roseate View of tho Condition Of Now
York's Army Of Worklng-Women.
1t is pleasure to walk up Broad
way from Chambers to Blocker street
any bright afternoon from half-past
five to six o'clock. Nearly every one
of the big buildings within those limits
has factories on every floor, where hum
dreds and thousands of girls are en-
ployed in making clothing, underwear.
neckties, cloaks, fancy boxes and other
articles Of luxury and necessity. Pretty
much all of them are between the age
of fourteen and twenty-five. The law
will not allow them to work under
fourteen, and by the time they are
twenty-five they are either married or
swept no one knows where. Most of
these factories close at $50, and the
girls hurry on their wraps and start
for home, and great numbers
of them live in Brooklyn and New Jer-
sey, where board and lodging is much
cheaper than in New York, and so they
walk down Broadway to the ferries.
They are as handsome set of girls as
can be found anywhere. Like nearly
all American women, they have the
knack of dressing becomingly, and
their trim and shapely figures are
shown off to good advantage. They do
not look disconnected, if bright and
cheerful faces are any criterion, and
they chatter merr1ly as they pass
along, two or three at time. They
have the independent bearing of girls
who know they earn their own living
and are not dependent on any man for
support. Some Of the prettiest are ac-
companied by young men-perhaps
some of the clerks who have taken
fancy to them. Nearly all Of them
have been pupils in the public schools.
They read the newspapers. and can
talk cleverly. A vast amount of rot
is printed about them. but in point of
fact they are as jolly and contented a lot
of young women as can be found else
where in the world. There is great
outcry on the part of theatrical. short
haired and atmospheric philanthropists
at times because factory and shop girls
do not give up their employment and
| seek homes as servants in uptown
families. The girl knows what she is
; about The bedraggled maid of all
work, nagged by silly mistress, abused
by horde of snappy children and sad
i died with a thousand cares has one
night out week when she has an OPP
portunity to be courted by the coach
man or the hostler The working girl
! is her own mistress absolutely from the
time she leaves the factory at six
o'clock in the evening until she returns
| at eight o'clock the following. Her
independence is absolute, and
during her phours of freedom she
is as much lady as the wife of the
President. She visits her friends and
receives the calls of the men who are
by no means to be despised in the mat
rimonial market. A great and well
come change has come over public
opinion respecting women who have
the courage, faith and energy to 60
out in the world and make themselves
the arbiters of their own futures in
stead of moping at home a burden to
their friends and trial to their rela-
tives. That working-women command
in many instances the highest respect
can not be denied by any man who has
an intimate knowledge of New York
life. There are ladies of broad culture
finished accomplishments and many
graces of mind and person in board
ing houses of New York, who arc the
popular leaders of little social circles
despite the fact that they are employed
during the day. There are grades o
labor and women have learned to look
the world in the face and fight for thu
best fields. -Blakely Hall, IN Brooklyn
Union.